WEEKLY MEDITATION
You must know that the light which you seek is in your own lantern
-Zen Proverb
At the root of active addiction lies the idea that comfort will be experienced through ongoing exposure to that to which we are addicted. Even when we have recovered from our main addictions, there can be a propensity to look for contentment and fulfillment through external sources. But eventually we may want to find this comfort from within our conscious experience. Eventually, we may want to learn to find fulfillment through a personal connection to life that doesn’t rely on the acquisition of something outside of ourselves. It is very easy to fall into the trap of thinking that, “I will be happy when…” or “I will be happy when I get…” or “I will be happy after…” But these thought patterns are seductive snares providing a promise of contentment without delivery. There is nothing wrong with setting and achieving goals, but it is important that our happiness not be conditional to their completion. Whether we are seeking contentment, enlightenment, or fulfillment, these states can ultimately be found only in the present moment and divorced from external conditions.
